Transcript Misplaced Parts, Dangling Modifiers
Chapter Twenty Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
English Essentials
John Langan Beth Johnson
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
English Essentials
2 Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Misplaced Parts
•
When building a sentence, avoid needless separation of related parts of the sentence.
–
A
misplaced modifier
is positioned in a sentence so that it is unclear which word, phrase, or clause is modified.
English Essentials ©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
3 Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
•
Misplaced Parts
Modifiers such as almost, only, just, even, hardly, nearly, and
merely
, should be placed immediately before the words they modify.
–
Example: My mother only works on Saturdays and Sundays.
•
This sentence indicates that the mother only works -- she does not eat, sleep, or talk.
English Essentials ©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
4 Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Misplaced Parts
We must place the modifier before a different word so the sentence is clearly understood.
Ex.: My mother only works on Saturdays and Sundays.
Revised: My mother
works only
on Saturdays and Sundays.
English Essentials ©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
5 Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Misplaced Parts
Example…..
Her job is to file newspaper articles about handgun use in the library. A modifying phrase should clearly indicate what the phrase modifies.
Revised…..
Her job in the library is to file newspaper articles about handgun use.
English Essentials ©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
6
English Essentials
Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Modifying Clauses
Modifying clauses should be placed near the words they modify.
Example…..
The librarian explains how they use the computer to do research before the class begins.
Revised…..
Before the class begins, the librarian explains how they use the computer to do research.
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
7
English Essentials
Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Dangling Modifiers
A modifier that opens a sentence must be followed immediately by the word it is meant to describe.
Otherwise, the result is a
©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
8 Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Dangling Modifiers
Here’s an example: Jumping from limb to limb, the spectators at the zoo were delighted by the monkeys.
(The spectators weren’t jumping, were they?)
English Essentials ©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
9 Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Dangling Modifiers
That’s the trouble with Your sentences take on an unintended meaning.
Let’s correct the sentence about the monkeys.
English Essentials ©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers 10 Incorrect:
Dangling Modifiers
Correct: Jumping from limb to limb, the spectators at the zoo were Jumping from limb to limb, the monkeys delighted the delighted by the monkeys.
spectators at the zoo.
How did the sentence change?
English Essentials ©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
11 Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Dangling Modifiers
We put the subject right after the opening word group.
Jumping from limb to limb, the delighted the spectators at the zoo.
Can we fix the sentence another way?
English Essentials ©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
12 Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Dangling Modifiers
Yes! We can place the subject within the opening word group.
While the were jumping from limb to limb, they delighted the spectators at the zoo.
Let’s review. . .
English Essentials ©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
13 Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Correcting Dangling Modifiers
Decide on a logical subject, and do one of the following: 1. Place the subject right after the opening word group.
OR 2. Place the subject within the opening word group.
English Essentials ©2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.